


What happens behind closed doors

by 20This_too_shall_pass18



Category: past the shallows
Genre: Abusivehousehold, Miles - Freeform, Other, Suspense, Thriller, fishingtown, harry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2018-11-03
Packaged: 2019-08-17 00:26:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16505603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/20This_too_shall_pass18/pseuds/20This_too_shall_pass18
Summary: This was inspired by the novel Past The Shallows which is set in a small town off the coast of Southern Tasmania. In this piece I have done that is inspired by the story I have kept the original characters but I have added on an alternative scene from one sentence within the novel that I thought would fit the genre of a thriller/ suspense short story. (“The air was cold and the house was quiet. Harry got out of bed and shoved his bare feet into his sneakers.”)





	What happens behind closed doors

Darkness. The absence of light. Darkness cannot be felt or heard but it can be seen. 

It was still early morning when Harry woke up. The air was cold, and the house was quiet. A creaking noise was heard from the dark interior of the house echoing ominously down the halls. Threatening to pounce. Threatening to smother the small child that lay in his bed. Harry dared to open his eyes and saw only black.

The sun was still hiding behind the horizon. Harry coughed, as the cold air slithered down his throat. The cold air gently scraped its sharply pointed fingers down his spine in a slow manner causing Harry to shiver. Harry brought the blankets up over his head and tried to protect himself from the cold air that continued to torment him. He felt the eyes of some sinister being watching him. Waiting for his next move. 

If he stayed in bed he’d be safe. Safe from the watcher. The creature that was plotting his demise. So, it could devour him whilst he lay unguarded in his bed. Harry brought the blankets down to his chin and peered out into the darkness. It was stopping him from seeing his tormentor. 

He began to slowly remove his blanket. Being careful to not disturb the predator. His tiny feet hit the cold floor as he slid out of bed. He glanced around the room. 

Watching. Waiting. Waiting for the tormentor to show itself to Harry.  
His father and Miles had decided to go out early that morning. Earlier than usual. Leaving Harry to his own devices. Harry wished that Miles or even Joe to be there with him. But, he knew deep down that Joe wasn’t coming back and Miles would be back later that day. 

Harry decided to find the source of the creaking noise that was ever present in the house.  
The curtains within the house were closed preventing prying eyes from allowing an aid to the young boy from the observer and from Harry’s fate.

The young boy crept down the hall trying not to disturb the ever present quiet that loomed over the house. His foot touched a loose floorboard causing it to creak.  
Harry paused, his heart pounding in his ears. Did it hear me? Will it be coming for me? He thought to himself. He gulped. 

“Hello?” Harry asked waiting for a response. 

There was only silence and the continual creak that never seemed to end. Harry continued to creep down the hall trying to be as light as a dove as he stepped across the old wooden floorboards.  
The young boy stopped at the entryway to the kitchen.  
He reached his hand out and around the hallway, feeling desperately for a light switch. He stopped when he realised that there was no light switch.  
His father had had them removed when his mother had passed away.

Harry could feel a scream wanting to escape his mouth and out into the cold, quiet air.  
He could feel it crawling up from his chest and into his throat.  
The darkness was everywhere not just in the house but shrouding his mind. It seemed to know him almost as well as he knew himself.  
Harry shuddered. The young boy decided to move out into the open and away from the security of the wall. 

He took one big step out of the hallway and shut his eyes waiting to be attacked. He felt exposed out in the open room.  
He opened his eyes after a few seconds upon noticing nothing had happened.  
Harry looked around the living room he was now standing in. 

The furniture looked black in the darkness. The static screen of the tv projected out into the black expanse of the room.

Maybe Miles had left it on before he left. Harry thought to himself. 

The front door was ajar, swinging back and forth on its hinges. It creaked loudly like a broken record.

Surely Miles and dad would have shut and locked the door. Harry thought to himself. 

He surreptitiously walked to the front door and locked it being careful to make no noise. Sweat trickled down his face tickling the tip of his nose, seeping through his pyjama shirt. 

The fear that had settled into his mind earlier was now beginning to cloud his thoughts and control his actions, the adrenaline causing him to sweat and his fingers to become shaky.  
Harry felt eyes behind him and spun around. His heart raced. He felt the scream shoving its way out of his mouth but all that came was a stifling silence.  
The same silence that was strangling the house.  
If he screamed no one would come to his aid.  
It was still the early hours of the morning,  
his neighbours would either be asleep or at work.  
He began to tentatively creep through the room  
. The observer was closely acquainted to the darkness and was using it as a cloak to hide himself. 

Harry shuffled gingerly into the kitchen, being careful not to disturb the aged floorboards.  
He surveyed the dark room. His gaze sweeping the dimly lit room falling onto the knife board.  
All of the bladed weapons were in their rightful place, except one. 

There was a gouge in the kitchen counter from where the knife had been dragged across the wooden bench.  
Harry eyes followed the direction of the carving to where the paint on the wall had been scraped off.  
It was leading back into the living room. Harry began fidgeting with the hem of his shirt.  
A slow but murderous taping noise could be heard from the living room. But I had just come from there.

Surely no one had entered the house after I closed the door. Harry thought to himself. 

He began to walk towards the tapping noise, tracing his fingers along the scrape that ran along the wall.  
Harry could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.  
He continued onwards to the room.

In the dim lighting of the room he could see a figure slowly swaying back and forth on the old creaky rocking chair.  
A large metal object glinted menacingly in the dark lighting as it tapped like a cuckoo on the wooden coffee table.  
Harry’s eyes travelled to a limp pile of clothing on the table.  
It was a rain jacket.  
Mile’s rain jacket.  
A large dark stain covered the lifeless piece of clothing. 

At first glance it looked like a water stain.  
But rain jackets were made to withstand water and even at the age of seven Harry knew this.  
But as Harry continued to stare at it he could now see the dark liquid was staining the coffee table.

Harry’s heart caught in his throat as he held back a sob.

“D-d-dad?” Harry stammered starting to tread backwards, terrified at what had happened to his brother. 

The figure stood up from the chair, towering over Harry as he lumbered towards the young boy. The carving knife scraped across the table, leaving its mark.

“Are you ready to join your brother?” The figure rasped. 

Harry closed his eyed and curled up against the wall, awaiting his fate.

**Author's Note:**

> I am currently working on chapter 2. It may be released at a later date.


End file.
